Facts About Artificial Turf in San Diego

Since coming to prominence in the 1960s, the use of artificial turf became a commonplace to many football and baseball fields, as well as to tons of welcome mats. Recently, it has become a popular grass option for commercial and residential landscaping lawns. But while synthetic grass is already so widely used, there are some things about it that people do not know still.

Whether you are planning on having artificial turf installed on your lawn or are simply interested in synthetic grass — what’s it made of or how it works — here are a handful of random facts dispelling some fake grass misconceptions.

While it is true that AstroTurf, the first artificial grass brand ever developed, was made popular by its well-publicized use at Houston Astrodome, the stadium however was not the first to use it. Originally named ChemGrass, the popular trademark was already being utilized in several other sporting venues like Rhode Island’s Moses Brown School long before it was installed for Houston Astros.

It was only two years after ChemGrass’ invention when the Houston Astros organization decided to install it for their baseball field. Prior to using synthetic turf, the stadium has its dirt field painted green to make it look like a normal playing field.

Fact #2: Artificial turfs are not all made of the same grass fibers

Fibers used in synthetic grass are made from no ordinary plastic. Fake grass is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyamide. In the beginning of the artificial turf industry, the more common material for synthetic grass fibers was polypropylene, but its use today has become less common because of its slightly inferior quality. Currently, it is mostly used for cheaper artificial grass types.

For the last 10 years, polyamide and polyethylene have been the material of choice for many sporting venue, residential, and commercial applications because it is widely available, non-toxic, durable, recyclable, and most of all earth friendly. In addition, polyamide has the ability to absorb moisture, making the artificial grass appear more voluminous.

Fact #3: Synthetic turf requires periodic maintenance, too

Like anything, artificial grass needs some TLC, too. Just because it isn’t real, doesn’t mean it does not need to be taken care of. What makes it better than real grass, though, is that you do not have to groom it as much.

The frequency of your washing and grooming your artificial turf largely depends on how you use it, and what you use it for. If you own a pet that frequently hangs out on the artificial grass, you may need to clean it more often. The higher the traffic and activity level, the more frequent your turf must be washed. To prevent the turf from matting, use a rake or stiff-bristled broom to groom its fibers.

What other misconceptions regarding artificial turf do you know? Share them in the comments!